Festus Okotie-Eboh

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Chief
Festus Okotie Eboh
Okotie-Eboh in 1963
Minister of Finance
In office
1957 – 15 January 1966
Prime MinisterAbubakar Tafawa Balewa
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byObafemi Awolowo
Minister of Labour and Social Welfare
In office
1955–1957
Prime MinisterAbubakar Tafawa Balewa
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born
Festus Samuel Edah

(1912-07-18)18 July 1912
Warri, Southern Nigeria Protectorate
Died15 January 1966(1966-01-15) (aged 53)
Political partyNational Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons
Children9, including Ajoritsedere Awosika (daughter)
Relatives
OccupationPolitician

Nigerian politician who was the finance minister of Nigeria from 1957 to 1966 during the administration of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.[1]

Okotie-Eboh was born to an Itsekiri Chief, Prince Okotie Eboh in Warri Division, a town along the

K.O. Mbadiwe.[4]

Early life and business career

Okotie Eboh was born Festus Samuel Edah

Bata Shoe Company as an accounting clerk.[7]

While working as a clerk, he was also studying bookkeeping and accounting. In 1944, Bata transferred him to

Sapele to become Deputy Manager of the Sapele branch. In 1947, he was sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia for further training where he obtained a diploma in business administration and chiropody. He left Bata Shoe to establish a timber and rubber business.[7] He was involved in a rubber exporting business trading under the company name of Afro-Nigerian Export and Import Company. The firm exported ribbed smoked sheet rubber to Europe and North America.[7] In 1958, he opened a rubber-creping factory and later in 1963, he started Omimi Rubber and Canvas Shoe factory. He also started a few ventures with two foreign partners: Dizengoff and Coutinho Caro, the partners promoted Mid-West Cement Co, a cement clinker plant in Koko and Unameji Cabinet Works.[citation needed
]

Okotie-Eboh married in 1942, and, together with his wife, started a string of schools in

Sapele. The first school was Sapele Boys Academy, followed with Zik's College of Commerce. In 1953, he started Sapele Academy Secondary School. In the 1940s and 1950s, Okotie-Eboh was a board member of Warri Ports Advisory Committee, Sapele Township Advisory Board and Sapele Town Planning Authority.[7]

Political career

In 1951, after some influence from

Azikiwe, he contested for a seat and was elected to the Western Region House of Assembly.[8] In 1954, he was elected treasurer of the N.C.N.C. and was successful as the party's candidate to represent Warri division in the House of Representatives.[9] He was nominated as the Federal Minister of Labour and Welfare in January, 1955, and two years later, he was made Finance Minister.[3]

Personal life

Okotie-Eboh married an

Itsekiri woman named Victoria in 1942. A daughter, Alero, married Oladipo Jadesimi.[10] Their youngest daughter was Ajoritsedere Awosika
, a former civil servant.

Death

Okotie-Eboh was assassinated along with

Nigerian First Republic, and thus civilian rule.[11]

Further reading

References

  1. ^ "Chief Festus Sam Okotie-Eboh, the colossus lives on". Vanguard News. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  2. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0400350
    .
  3. ^ a b "Okotie- Eboh: In time and history". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ISBN 9781592212095
    .
  5. ^ Ekeh, Peter (2005). History of the Urhobo People of Niger Delta. Urhobo Historical Society. p. 292.
  6. ^ Falola, Toyin (2009). Historical Dictionary of Nigeria. Scarecrow Press. p. 284. okotie eboh sapele baptist school.
  7. ^
    OCLC 16667560
    .
  8. ^ "Accord Concondiale: The continuous search for Nigeria's elusive unity (10)". The Sun Nigeria. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Immortalizing Okotie-Eboh". The Pointer News Online. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Oil tycoon Oladipo Jadesimi's daughter, Emma, takes to dancing in London". The Sun Nigeria. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Nigeria - the 1966 Coups, Civil War, and Gowon's Government".
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